Different Detergents on Stain Removal from Cotton Cloth

PURPOSE

The purpose of this
experiment was to compare the effectiveness of different brands of detergent in
removing stains from cotton cloth.

I became interested in this idea when I got stains on my white cotton t-shirts.
My mom washed them but the detergent she used didn’t always get the stain
out. T-shirts are expensive to replace and I wondered if I could
find a better detergent.

The information gained from this experiment would help homemakers, laundry
services, hotels, hospitals, and others make better choices on which detergent
to buy.

HYPOTHESIS

My hypothesis was that Tide
would remove the test stains most effectively.

I based my hypothesis on the recent studies in “Consumer Reports” (October
2005, page 6) that showed Tide was the most reliable detergent/stain remover.

I also based my hypothesis on a study by Carrie Jo Nevue, a former 7th grade
student. She also tested detergents and concluded that Tide detergent
worked the best. Terri Bauman, a homemaker for 21 years, also believes
that Tide Detergent works the best in stain removal.

a.
Let fabric soak for two days (wait for 48 hours before performing the
next step)

b. Let the stained fabric dry after taking out of the bowl

8. Set
the Washing machine to Permanent Press with cold water wash

9. Wash cotton squares as followed:

a.
T.1-T.12 with 100 ml. of Tide

b. A.1-A.12 with 100 ml. of All

c. H.1-H.12 with 100 ml. of Arm and Hammer

d. W.1-W.12 with Water (no detergent at all)

10. When
cycle is done carefully place in the drying machine (keep

the drying machine on the
same cycle as the washing machine)

11. Repeat step #8 and #9 with a different detergent for
other three groups

12. After all washing and drying is done take the material to
Tree Top’s Colorimeter.

13. Carefully measure the “L” level of each piece of fabric
under the Colorimeter

14. Record results.

RESULTS

The original purpose of this experiment was to compare the effectiveness of
different brands of detergent in removing stains from cotton cloth.

The results of the
experiment were that Tide’s “L” value was 81.49, Water Control’s “L” value was
79.40, All’s “L” value was 78.33, and Arm and Hammer’s “L” value was
78.98. Tide with 81.49 was clearly the best.

CONCLUSION

My hypothesis was that Tide
would remove the test stains most effectively.

My hypothesis should be accepted, Tide worked the best as shown by the
Colorimeter.

After thinking about the results of this experiment, I wonder if any if the
affect results:

• Different type of cloth (silk, linen, and wool)

• Washing temperature (cold vs. warm)

• Amount of detergent used (would 1/2 work as well)

If I were to conduct this project again I would use more cloth samples. I
would only use one stain at a time. One group would be stained with only
one thing and be washed with one specific detergent.

I would test more detergents, including Tide, All, Cheer, Arm and Hammer, and
Kirkland Signature detergent.

I would use the stains: butter, ketchup, mustard, purple grape juice, and black
coffee. I wouldn’t do the ravioli sauce and the chocolate sauce because
they aren’t really things you eat on an everyday basis.

I would also have one more control group, a stained cloth with no washing to
show how much the stain had actually been removed.